"I watched it that night on the Big Ten Network on the rerun,'' he said. "I don't know if it was a good idea.''

With any hope of a Big Ten Conference title realistically gone, the Illini now begin the process of recovering, clinching an NCAA Tournament berth and improving their seed.

Illinois (21-6 overall, 9-5 in the Big Ten) plays at Ohio State (17-7, 7-6) Sunday (noon, CBS). While the Illini might already have done enough to earn an NCAA berth, they don't want to fall back into the Big Ten pack and create doubt with the selection committee.

"We have to finish more games,'' Weber said. "You could have a big lump in the middle. How many (Big Ten) teams get in? We should have at least six or seven if some scenarios work out. I don't want to get into that mix.

"I gave them a goal of 24 wins early. It will be tough to reach 24. If we get to 23 or 24, I would feel comfortable.''

Even if the league gets six or seven bids, eight teams still think they have a shot to reach the tournament.

"It's very crucial,'' Weber said. "A lot of things can happen. Only so many teams will get into the NCAA. You don't want to get in a bind where a bunch of teams are tied through seventh or eighth.''

Illinois entered the weekend in third behind league-leading Michigan State and Purdue. In the rear-view mirror, a pack of five teams sits within two Big Ten losses of the Illini.

The Illini were a No. 6 seed in ESPN bracketology Friday. Like Penn State, Ohio State also feels the heat of securing an NCAA berth.

How the Illini respond from the remarkably bad game at Assembly Hall is the question of the weekend.

"I hope it's a motivator, a little bit of a sense of urgency, a little bit of a fear factor," Weber said. "Some of them are very, I don't know the word, they're a little bit laidback, casual, nonchalant. I think it helps them in some aspects, but in other aspects you need a little bit of nervousness, the bubbles in your stomach, the knot in your stomach."

After rolling behind back-to-back road wins, the Illini find themselves surrounded by concerns over a collapse.

"We just don't want to get into the tournament,'' said Meacham. "We want to have a good season. To do that, we have to keep winning games and not just get into the NCAA Tournament but make a run.''

While battling the flu and a cold for nearly a week, guard Demetri McCamey lost about five pounds in a week and vomited during halftime of the loss to Penn State before regaining his strength following a day off Thursday.

"I'm feeling fine today,'' McCamey said before practice Friday. "I have energy. I ate today, and everything is staying (down) today. I feel better than Tuesday and Wednesday. But even if I step on the court, I have to get involved. That's not acceptable. When I step on the court, I still have to produce. I didn't. My team lost because of that.''

Meanwhile, Ohio State also let one get away Wednesday in blowing a 12-point lead in a 72-69 loss at Northwestern, the Buckeyes’ first loss to Northwestern in 18 games. The Buckeyes had won eight in a row in Evanston dating to 1998.